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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25836196">The One Where Brian Finally Snaps</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGryffindorBookworm/pseuds/lettersinthesand'>lettersinthesand (TheGryffindorBookworm)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Poly!Queen College!AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Queen (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:55:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,752</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25836196</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGryffindorBookworm/pseuds/lettersinthesand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Since he’s gone to university, Brian’s parents keep tabs on his whereabouts with a tracking app on his phone. They claim it’s for his own good and for their piece of mind. Brian doesn’t see it that way.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Deacon/Brian May/Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Poly!Queen College!AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874683</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The One Where Brian Finally Snaps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a one shot for a universe I will be expanding on later. One day I will have the whole story for how the boys all got together. For now, enjoy a little snippet of their lives.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His feet land heavily on the stairs as he all but sprints them, desperate for the meager comfort of his dorm. He nearly drops his keys as he fumbles with them, trying to unlock the door with shaking hands. He finally manages to wrench it open, and, in two long strides, he’s crossed the room and collapsed face-first on the bed. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to the group chat. </p>
<p>    Bri: bad day. really bad day. don’t worry though. -Bri</p>
<p>    He couldn’t quite read the immediate reply due to the new wave of angry tears. He hadn’t meant to make the text sound quite so angry, but he’d had killer allergies and wasn’t feeling well and he’d slept over at Freddie’s dorm with his other three boyfriends, and they’d cuddled and kissed his cheeks and forehead and made him tea and generally made his existence a hell of a lot better every night this week and his parents were “concerned for him” because he’d stayed the night in someone else’s dorm and missed a couple of morning classes this week. They’d been on his ass about classes and his whereabouts and when his mum had asked him why he’d been a bit late to his only Wednesday class he’d been a bit snippy with her. </p>
<p>    His text read: Mum, I am a legal adult. It’s entirely unnecessary for you to keep tabs on me at all times. If i”m a little late to a class, just assume I have a good reason. </p>
<p>    He really should have expected the scolding phone call he received from his father not five minutes later. He got the usual spiel: don’t talk to your mother like that, we only want the best for you, what if something happened to you? going to class is important, the usual. </p>
<p>    The call was ended curt and fairly cordial and he made it to his dorm where he now lay on the bed, barely long enough for him. He scrolled from the group chat to the little folder of apps he doesn’t care about in the back of his home screen and opens it. He’s face-to-face with the little bastard causing half his problems and the impulsive urge to just be rid of the damned app hits him like a train. He holds down the app to make them all shake and his finger hovers over the x in the corner of the icon. He takes a breath. </p>
<p>    “Fuck it.” he presses the button and the app disappears. He feels the small thrill of just letting it go, but overall, nothing really feels too different. It’s funny, he almost expected some miraculous, magical reaction, or a sense of clarity. All he really feels is lingering anger and stress with a tiny hint of relief. </p>
<p>    He checks the group chat after a few moments of breathing. He wipes his tears on the back of his hand and opens the app. </p>
<p>    Deaky: Bri are you okay?! </p>
<p>    Deaky: Bri?!</p>
<p>    Freddie: Where are you dear? What do you need? </p>
<p>    Rog: im on my way</p>
<p>    Freddie: YOu don’t even know where he is, Roger</p>
<p>    Brian’s lips twitched up in a near smile at his boyfriends’ concern. It was nearly enough to make the guilt now settling over his lungs leave his mind. </p>
<p>    Bri: I’m in my dorm. I really am okay. -Bri </p>
<p>    He barely had time to blink before his boys flooded the chat again. </p>
<p>    Rog: im at the back door. let me in. </p>
<p>    Deaky: What! How? You just found out where he is. </p>
<p>    Freddie: All of you get over to my dorm. I’ll get some comfort snacks and meet you there in 20. ;-) </p>
<p>    Deaky: Don’t you have class right now? </p>
<p>    Freddie: yes, and? This is more important. I’m headed for the grocery right now. </p>
<p>    Deaky: right. I’m leaving mine too. Isn’t your class in the building next to mine? </p>
<p>    Freddie: yes</p>
<p>    Deaky: Cool, I’ll meet you outside. We’ll shop together. Gotta make sure you don’t spend everything you have on comfort snacks. </p>
<p>    Brian was about to respond that they absolutely did not have to skip class for him when a wall-shaking knock hit his door. He leaped up from the bed to answer the door, desperate to prevent the awful racket from upsetting all his neighbors. He barely got his hand on the doorknob to open it in time. On the other side of the door, he found a disheveled and winded Roger, fist poised to knock on the door again. His cheeks were flushed and his hair touseled, not in the usual disheveled-but-on-purpose manner. He was breathing harshly as though he’d just run all the way here, and he probably had knowing Roger. He was, without a doubt, the most beautiful and most welcome sight Brian had seen all day. </p>
<p>    “Rog.” was all Brian managed to say before his blonde boyfriend pushed him inside, shut the door, and pulled him into a strong hug. His head fell to Rog’s shoulder and all the tension in his body suddenly melted away and he relaxed entirely into the smaller boy’s arms. </p>
<p>Roger spoke. “Hey, Bri.” Hearing his voice was almost better than seeing him at the door. </p>
<p>“Did you really run all the way here?” Brian asked as he lifted his head. The laughter sparkled in Roger’s blue eyes before it tumbled from his lips. </p>
<p>“Yeah, I did.” He replied. “ ‘Was worried about you, Brimi.” Roger’s eyes flicked down to Brian’s lips in a silent question, and he nodded minutely in consent. The press of Roger’s lips was familiar and grounding with his arms still around Brian. The kiss remained chaste and sweet, a gesture of comfort not intended to arouse. It was blissful anyway. Too soon, they had to pull apart. “Pack yourself an overnight bag, Freddie won’t be letting you leave his sight after he sees you anytime soon. </p>
<p>“And what about you?” Brian asked, teasing but also entirely serious. </p>
<p>“If you don’t mind, we’ll stop by my dorm on the way to Fred’s. We can’t get in without him anyway.” That was reasonable, however, it brought on more questions about Roger’s sudden appearance at his door. </p>
<p>“By the way, how did you manage to get in the building? Your ID won’t get you in here.” </p>
<p>“Well,” Roger started with a rather roguish grin, “There’s this sweet old lady who on the first floor. Her name’s Shirley if you didn’t know. I come around to pick you up a lot and sometimes we make conversation.” </p>
<p>“She let you in?” Brian asked. </p>
<p>“Yeah, she’s not really supposed to, but apparently I looked quite distressed. She let me in if I promised not to break my neck running up the stairs. Anyway, let’s get going. You’re all packed, yeah?” They left the dorm together, Brian insisting on leaving a note to inform his roommate of his whereabouts. As they left the back door, Roger threw who Brian could only assume was Shirley a wink. She wore the school’s staff uniform. Her hair was short and grey. She wore bright pink lipstick and round blue earrings. She winked back at Roger. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>~~~~~~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>    The two of them approached Freddie’s dorm building, on the other side of campus, hand-in-hand with their overnight bags. After an overenthusiastic greeting from Freddie, he led them up to his dorm where John was already waiting. They all settled and got comfortable on the large bed made of the two smaller beds that Freddie had pushed together. John was the first to broach the subject. </p>
<p>    “Alright, Bri. What happened?” he asked taking Brian’s hand and glancing at his eyes. Brian took a deep breath before beginning. </p>
<p>    “Well, to sum it up, I got pissed off at my parents and deleted the tracking app.” </p>
<p>    “Oh shit, really?” Freddie interrupted. “What happened, darling, spill!” he moved from sitting to kneeling forward on his knees as he spoke. </p>
<p>    “Shut it, Fred. Let him finish.” Roger interjected. </p>
<p>    Freddie relaxed a bit. “Sorry, dear, do go on.” </p>
<p>    “Right, anyway,” Brian began again. “You already know I’ve missed a few classes and been late to a few others. All the checking up and reminders to go to class when I haven’t even told them I missed it was getting to me. That, on top of their concern about me not sleeping in my own dorm kinda set me off. They keep talking to me about all these things that I wouldn’t even tell them if I had the choice. I just got mad and responded a little angrily to one of my mum’s texts.” His boyfriends all nodded encouragingly as he began to falter. “Told her that I’m a legal adult and that they don’t have to keep tabs on me all the time. Granted it may have come across as a bit harsher than I’d intended it to.”</p>
<p>    John spoke up again. “Can I see the text, Brian?” Brian handed his phone over and kept talking, unable to stop the flow of words once the background was out of the way. </p>
<p>    “I got a bit of a harsh call from my dad after that. All the usual excuses about why I need that damned thing. I was angry when I got to my dorm. I felt like deleting it, so I did.” the room was quiet until John spoke again. </p>
<p>    “Yeah, it was maybe a little harsher than you usually are, but nothing worth calling you to chew you out.” </p>
<p>    “How do you feel, dear?” Freddie asked, poised to launch into a hug that would no doubt turn into a four-man cuddle session should Brian show the slightest sign of needing it. </p>
<p>    “I think I feel alright, actually.” and he did. He actually felt pretty great knowing his boys were right there with him, on his side. “Yeah, I’m doing alright.” </p>
<p>“So,” Freddie started, “you’re saying you don’t want to cuddle and eat snacks?” He finished with a mischievous grin. </p>
<p>“Get over here.” Brian pulled him in for a hug and pressed a kiss to his temple. “The three of you are the best. Do you know that?” </p>
<p>“Of course we do.” John replied, not missing a beat. </p>
<p>“We love you.” Roger joined in. </p>
<p>Both he and John moved to put their arms around Freddie and Brian. John rested his chin on Brian’s shoulder, pressing gentle kisses to his cheek. Freddie straddled Brian’s lap as Roger held him from behind. Brian truly never felt more safe and loved than he felt with his boys.</p>
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